J-League Cup 2015

About

Yokohama F. Marinos was founded back in 1972 and began competitive play in 1973. Initially operating under the name Nissan Motors FC, the club remain owned by the car manufacturer today. In the 1993 season, the team became a founding member of the J-League and have since gone on to become one of the division's most successful sides.

During Japan's amateur era, Nissan FC, as they were then known, enjoyed tremendous success. In total, they amassed two JSL Division 1 titles, five Emporer's Cups and three JSL Cups. Finally, in 1992, they lifted the Asian Cup Winners' Cup. Ahead of the club's entry into the J-League, the team merged with rivals Yokohama Flügels. The "F" in the team's name is in place to represent the Flügels' part of the club. However, many associated with Yokohama Flügels were not content, which led to the foundation of Marinos' main rivals, Yokohama FC.

Since turning professional, Yokohama F. Marinos have continued to enjoy great success in the country. They have been crowned J-League champions on three occasions, with those wins coming in 1995, 2003 and 2004. In addition, the club have had huge success in cup competitions, winning the Emporer's Cup, the J-League Cup and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup once each.

Amongst the most notable players to represent the team are Japanese international players, such as Norio Omura, Yuji Nakazawa and Shunsuke Nakamura. Well-known foreign talents include Renato, Ahn Jung-Hwan and Gustavo Zapata. Naoki Matsuda holds the club record for most appearances, while Shoji Jo is Yokohama F. Marinos' record goal scorer. Matsuda tragically died in 2011 and his number 3 jersey has since been retired by the club.

The team play most of their home matches at International Stadium Yokohama, formerly known as Nissan Stadium. The venue opened in 1998 and is able to hold up to 72,327 spectators. On occasion, Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium is used instead. It is able to hold 15,046 fans.